Neo-liberalist Policies, Tribal
Material and Non-Material Culture:
Mismatched Domains in Odisha
Dr. Smita Mishra Panda
Professor
Centurion University, Odisha
Plan of Presentation
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Introduction
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Neo-liberal Invasion and Tribals
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Violation of Cultural Rights
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Reactions from the Margins
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Is there an Alternative?
Introduction
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Odisha - 62 tribal communities
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23% of the population
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Concentrated in the northern and southern dists.
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One extreme are those living in extreme isolation
and the other completely hinduised, converted to
christians – not distinguishable from non-tribals
Tribals have a distinct cultural identity – language,
dress, ornaments, rituals, art, crafts, housing and
festivals.
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Economic and political marginalisation
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80% living under below poverty levels
Neo-liberal Invasion
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Manifested in extraction based industrialisation –
mining for bauxite, iron-ore and chromium
Concentration of tribals, minerals and forests in
the same space
Post 90s Forests, mountains and water systems
are taken over in large land grab projects by
multinational companies backed by the state
“Mining projects are fueled by an entrenched
notion of development so powerful, that
democracy and human rights often seem to
wither in the face of it” (Padel and Das 2010: 10)
Neo-liberal Invasion
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Nearly 1.5 million tribals have been displaced –
includes environment, marginalisation,
deprivation of life and livelihood and resource
sustainability – is overlooked within the narrow
paradigm of cost-benefit analysis in economic
rationalisation.
Transition of tribal development policy – from
‘needs’ based to ‘desires’ based approach –
placed tribals in a situation of enduring poverty
and marginalisation through consumer market
mechanism
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Benefits of such an approach to development
has not accrued to the tribals – live in poverty
Insensitive mining that affects the cultural and
ecological values of the tribals
1019 sq km has been leased for mining – illegal
mining is rampant
Unsustainable employment in the mining
companies for tribals
Violation of Cultural Rights
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Systematic violation of human rights -cultural
rights of the tribals with no sign of reversal
Much of the literature on the topic however
concentrates on impact on livelihoods
Culture – material and non-material is affected
Recently in 2010 – Felix Padel and S. Das in
their book 'Out of this Earth' have dealt with the
impact on culture of Dongaria Khond tribals
Used the term – “Cultural Genocide” - strong
expression of development induced
displacement and loss of cultural rights
Violation of Cultural Rights
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Economic System
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Kinship System
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Religious System
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Material Culture
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Power Structure
Example of – loss of swidden
cultivation
Among the Juang and Saora tribals of Odisha
- Loss of multiple crops that they grew.
- Harvesting of paddy, millets and pulses are done
at different times from the same plot of land –
closely embedded n their seasonal calendar and
culture
- Swidden cultivation plots have declined and so
has the number crops that tribals grew in them
Violation of Cultural Rights
(Social Costs of Development)
Social Cost
Material/Non-material culture affected
Displacement of villages and cultivated land
Loss of traditional/customary practices –
songs, calendar, rituals, folklore
Breakdown of tribal social structure
Cultural and family values – cohesiveness
Degradation of environment – forests, water
and land
Loss of livelihood resource base and
indigenous knowledge
Conflict between those in favour and against
the companies
Solidarity among people of the same
community affected
Deterioration of older cooperation based
values, availability of easy money
Corruption of values – egalitarian relations
affected
Health dangers – respiratory, cancer etc.
Loss of good health – inability to do hard
work – e.g forest and swidden cultivation
Proliferation of arms industry
Primary of military war over valuing tribal
culture and values
(adapted from Padel and Das 2010)
Reactions from the Margins
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In the form of struggles and resistances –
Lanjigarh (Vedanta), Kalinganagar (Tata and
others), Paradip (Dhinkia area – POSCO),
Rayagada, Jharsuguda and many more
Women seem to be more active in the
movements
Successful in creating a strong oppositional
space for resistance
Voices from the margins have got prominence
e.g of Vedanta
Reactions from the Margins
- Growing left wing extremism in the tribal areas – 17
districts of Odisha affected
- Non-cooperation with the govt and its programmes
Niyamgiri Gram Sabha – Against
Vedanta Company
Protest against Vedanta
Gram Sabha meeting with the local
officials
Is there an Alternative?
Commercialisation of Tribal Art
Is there an Alternative
- Need to discuss alternatives to mainstream
development thinking and practice, and how these
alternatives may affect local and global processes
of marginalisation and change the lives of tribal
communities – academic level
- In practice, the state needs to respect the cultural
rights of tribals and protect them – keeping the
constitution in mind
- Need for some basic institutions of modernisation
which can uphold indegenity and modernity
together without much overlap.